Daughter joins fight against Parkinson’s; fundraiser May 21

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2010-05-03T00:00:00

Now 25, Jennifer Morse decided it was time to deal with her father’s deteriorating condition resulting from living with Parkinson’s disease for 23 years.

“When I think of my father as a young man, he was active,” said Morse, whose parents divorced when she was 3. “Watching him deteriorate over most of my life has been pretty difficult. Since I have not lived with him since I was a young girl, it’s always a shock to me when I see him. Now I’m at a point in my life where I’m trying to deal with it instead of ignoring the situation.”

So about a year and a half ago, Morse and her mother Bella Friedman went on a Parkinson’s fundraising walk hosted by Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon. Soon she was helping out at PRO. Morse said that after becoming a bat mitzvah at Congregation Neveh Shalom, she participated in BBYO, where she learned some of her leadership skills.

Now Morse and her mother are on the committee planning “Pearls in the Pearl,” PRO’s fundraising auction and 30th anniversary celebration. Doors open with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. for the May 21 event at Venue Pearl, 323 NW 13th Ave. The evening features plated dinner, silent auction and entertainment. Tickets are $125 per person.

The event’s honorary chair and guest speaker will be Brian Grant, a retired NBA player diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 36.

Morse’s father Michael Morse, was likewise diagnosed with Parkinson’s at a young age.

“I want to make my generation more aware of this disease,” said Morse. “I really want the younger generation to be aware it exists and that younger people are diagnosed with it.”

She said she also wants people with the disease and their families that there are resources available to help them.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive degenerative neurological disease that eventually renders many individuals immobile, reducing clarity of  thought and severely limiting activities. Offering programs and services in Oregon and Southwest Washington, PRO’s mission is to empower individuals to meet the challenges of living with Parkinson’s disease through information, education, personal support and advocacy.

For tickets or more information on Pearls in the Pearl, contact Erin Cozart at PRO at 503-496-3175.